The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-12

Late IN the AFTERNOON ADAMS, OF hTu,
as he chooses to call himself, was seen and
asked if he had anything to say. We'll, l
don't know" he replied cautiously, If
person is guilty they never want to see you
reporters. But am innocent, though in a
bad mess and I'll tell you the whole story"
He gave a long and rambling account
of himself up TO the day he arrived in
Savannah, the following being about the
truth OF the matter, as was substan-
tiated by other facts were CLEANED from
outside sources: He left Cincinnati, o.,
about two years ago, and has led wander
ing life since, according 10 his story Before
this he said he was a drummer for the Mckay
STANDARD Screw Manufacturing Company,
of 235 Pearl street, New York. In 1886 he
was in Europe, and was in many of the diff
ferent countries, and had spent some time in
"Nap-ples," as he pronounced it, with
strong accent on the first syllable.
TROUBLES IN THE LAND OF FLOWERS.
He wandered down into Florida again
this summer, and got into trouble at Jack
sonville, being arrested for a robbery which,
it is claimed, he committed in st. Angus
tine two years previous. At that time, or
prior to it, he met Miss Pearl Laidlow, at
Jacksonville Fla, at the clearinghouse
kept by her mother. After he left at
that time-some say, after breaking jail
he correspondent with her and the two
became engaged, the girl seeming TO be in
fatuated with the ib-tongued stranger. At
that time he informed Mrs. Laidlow that
the robbery charge was sort of blackmall
case, and that he was all right, which she
implicitly believed All went on smoothly
IN young loves dream with Miss Pearl,
and about July Is, last, she received letter
from her wandering lover, saying that he
would be in jacksonville in fortnight.
August he arrived there, and on the morn
ing of Aug Q, Mrs. and Miss Laidlow went
up to Palatka with Mr.. Ward, as he then
called himself, and, procuring license,
Miss Pearl soon became Mrs. Ward.
A MoTHER-IN-LAw IN THE CASE
They took the afternoon train for Jack
sonville, and the accounts vary about the
proceedings on the train. Some were to
the effect that he acknowledged to his
mother-in-law that his name was not Ward,
bnt Adams, and that she threatened
him with the penitentiary if he
attempted to run off. Others say that
he became alarmed at the consequences of
his act, as it was limited that he had another
wife elsewhere, and attempted to leave the
train and escape, but that the traditional
fear of the mother-in- law kept him in sub
lection. Anyway he kept on the train, and
as the train rolled into the Jacksonville
depot two officers stepped up to him, calling
him Adams, and said they wanted
him for the ST. Augustine robbery. There
was scene, of course, the young
wife of a few hours falling into dead
faint, while her mother attempted to help
her, and tongue-lash her son-in-law at
the same time. He was taken to Jail,
and several days after carried to st. Angus
tine, and finally on some technicality he was
released.
HE COMES TO SAVANNAH.
His wife had meanwhile became reconciled
to him and it was mostly through her eff
forts in securing him counsel that he
escaped. He returned to jacksonville, andt
for a short while remained quietly at home.
But the demon of unrest, or some other
equally dominant spirit soon started him off
into other troubles. Thursday night, Sep
tember |, he left Jacksonville on the even
ing train on the Savannah, Florida and
Western railroad, and arrived in Savannah
Friday morning. He went to the Screven
House and registered as .. A. ORA
ton, Atlanta, Ca, and was assigned to
room Is. He said that he registered in that
manner so as to avoid any notoriety on the
Florida affair He walked up Drayton
street and took his alias for the nonce from
that, but his spelling having been somewhat
neglected, probably he forgot to use a ''y'' in
writing it.
SEVERAL SAFES SPOTTED.
His adventures while here read like ro-
NANCE and his account is strictly adj
hered to in the following: He is a
shoemaker by trade, accustomed to work
on shoe machines, and thought he could get
a job here. Finding he could not, he made
up his mind to leave for Charleston that
night friday, but missed his way to the
depot and came out upon the Park. Here
he met and became acquainted with two
men, named George Walker and -
Weldon. The former claimed to be a shoe
maker also. After a long conversation,
during which Ward told them he was dead
broke, they suggested that he join
them. Walker said he had worked on safes
some, and had turned craftsman. He fur
Their said that if Ward would help them he
would receive "A good share of the spoils
Ward says he refused to join them. They
still continued the talk, and Walker told of
q safe in a candy and cracker manufactur-
ing store that he knew had some money in
it, and also mentioned several wholesale
places he thought would be profitable places
to "crack."
SENDING OFF THE PLUMBER
Ward then returned to the Screven House,
and for some reason determined to remain
a few days longer, probably enjoying the
change of fare. He saw nothing of the two
men till Monday morning, when Walker
met him and told him they had struck it
rich He then asked Ward if he would
agree to take the plumber and ship it to New
York for them, from some outside town,
if they would give him 80 per cent.
commission. He agreed to this,
and the two walked out Habersham
street to Bolton, and then on the railroad
track to a point near the junction of the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western and the
Charleston and Savannah railroads. Here
Weldon was found, and the stuff was shown
hidden under log and covered with leaves,
some 400 yards from the track. After some
talk it was agreed that Ward should get the
booty in the afternoon and ship it to Flor
ence. This he did by express Monday
night, sending it to ~. B. Warner, Flor
ence, s. c." He then enclosed the express
receipt and sent it by mail to the same adj
dress.
THE TRIP TO FLORENCE.
In the evening he heard of the robbery
and was greatly frightened. He bought
his ticket at the Office on Bull street and
went Immediately to the train. He naively
added that as he had not enough money to
pay bis board at the hotel and buy ticket
too, and he preferred the ticket. On board
the train be saw Walker, but he kept away
from him, as he was somewhat
intoxicated, and had come near being ar
rested at the depot. As the train Stacked
up at the junction Weldon jumped on board,
with a kit of burglars tools in black sat
chel. Weldon asked the conductor if the
train stonupd Mt Yemasea IN. 4 llendala md